GroundWorks says goodbye to Amy Miller with engrossing production
Since 1998, Amy Miller and David Shimotakahara have been the artistic backbone of GroundWorks DanceTheater. Unfortunately, for the company and the audiences who have come back again and again to see the ensemble, Miller is moving to New York City. The company’s recent program at Trinity Cathedral, a repeat of a presentation done earlier this season at The Akron Ice House, was a final tribute to the relationship between the dynamic duo.
Nothing could more exemplify Shimotakahara and Miller’s bond than the last 30 seconds of DnA, when the duo stood face-to-face bathed in sheer warmth. [A rehearsal of DnA is pictured.] It was an emotional tribute to the connection that comes from two very talented individuals who melded into a powerful artistic force to give joy to both each other and their audiences. Bravo!
The opening number, the world premiere of choreographer Jill Sigman’s Split Stitch, was set to original music by Gustavo Aguilar. Each of the four-part movements found the dancers displaying a different set of emotions. Coordinated and segmented moves, interaction, lack of interaction, lyrical and static bodily actions all highlighted by Dennis Dugan’s lighting, which cast shadows and moved in coordination and discordance with the dancers, created a series of illusions.
The final piece, Just Yesterday, was a recreation of a Dianne McIntyre choreographed number consisting of a series of vignettes based on stories being told by the dancers, which are recreated in movement. Nostalgia, joy, sadness, personal traditions as they related to food, hi-jinks, fads, movies, family, and people who touched the dancers’ lives flowed forth. The fine acoustics of Trinity Cathedral allowed for clarity of hearing the spoken words. All in all, this is a fascinating selection, which got a wonderful performance.
CAPSULE JUDGMENT: As has come to be expected, the sold-out performance of GroundWorks DanceTheater at Trinity Cathedral was a visual delight. Good luck to Amy Miller and welcome to Katie Wells, the newest of the company’s dancers.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Roy Berko. Berko’s blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2009, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info. His reviews can also be found on NeOHIOpal and CoolCleveland.com.Roy Berko, who is a life-long Clevelander, is a Renaissance man. Believing the line in Robert Frost’s poem “Road Not Taken,” each time he comes to a fork in the road, he has taken the path less traveled. He holds degrees, thought the doctorate from Kent State, University of Michigan and The Pennsylvania State University. His present roles, besides husband and grandfather, are professor, crisis counselor, author and entertainment reviewer… Read Roy Berko’s complete bio here